The Listin Diario reports that while in Panama, the President told the journalists accompanying him that the policies of his predecessor, Leonel Fernandez, were responsible for many of the problems currently afflicting the Dominican Republic, including the power crisis and failures in the banking system, such as the Baninter collapse. For this reason, said Mejia, the PLD would lose next year’s Presidential election. There is some convergence with the view expressed by business leader Celso Marranzini that the blame lies with the government’s economic advisors, most prominently Andy Daujahre, who served as advisor to the PLD administration as well as to the present government. “These advisors are the ones who really damage the country, knowing that should any social problems arise, tomorrow they can pack their bags, because they have their savings in dollars and can go and teach at some university, claiming they were not to blame for their country’s problems.” Marranzini’s strong words came in reaction to Daujahre’s recent statement that the country was running the risk of civil unrest and that the business community had a responsibility to pay its taxes. President Mejia in turn blamed the business community for the threat of public disorder, saying that if it were to happen, the high prices they are charging consumers were to blame. Marranzini said that the Dominican business community was living through its hardest moments ever and that industrialists were “engaged in a fight for survival and to maintain employment levels.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Listin Diario reports that while in Panama, the President told the journalists accompanying him that the policies of his predecessor, Leonel Fernandez, were responsible for many of the problems currently afflicting the Dominican Republic, including the power crisis and failures in the banking system, such as the Baninter collapse. For this reason, said Mejia, … <\/p>\n